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As a mom to an active toddler, Natasha felt inclined to start cooking healthier for his sake. She stumbled upon a Cooking Light Diet post on Instragram and was intrigued by the affordability and appeal of the program. For the sake of her son, Natasha said goodbye to takeout.

Then, along the way, she found that her son wasn't the only person benefiting from the family's new approach to healthy eating. In fact, she found there's actually something in it for her too. “I always talk about it with my boyfriend because I’ll get excited about a recipe. I’ve never been much of a cook before, but now I feel like I’m learning how to cook with these easy recipes.”

Over the summer, Natasha was inspired to start her own garden, which isn't the first time we've heard from a community member who felt inspired by their new lifestyle to grow a garden. She described the exciting feeling she gets when there's a new tomato she can pick and use in a recipe: “I live in an apartment, and I started growing tomatoes and want to grow some fall vegetables now. The Diet is what motivated me to want to grow my own vegetables. I’ve also tried to go to the gym as much as I can. It’s really helped me to get more healthy and active.”

Because of her Italian heritage, Natasha says pasta dishes provide the homey feeling she loves. And thankfully, pasta can still be a reality with the Cooking Light Diet. Natasha has found that portion control is key. “I like how the Diet tells you how much one serving is, so then I get an idea of what an actual serving is and not filling a whole plate [laughs].”